Courses
Wayne State University
College of Lifelong Learning
Interdisciplinary Studies Program
Computers and Society courses, Winter 2001
    ( http://www.cll.wayne.edu/isp/drbowen/casw01)
Mondays, 6 - 9:40 PM in 113 Rackham
Bullet1.png (242 bytes)Computers and Society
    GST 2710, Section 988, Call Number 95241, 4 credits
Bullet1.png (242 bytes)Computers and Society
    AGS 3360, Section 983, Call Number 98319, 4 credits
Office hours: Mondays 4 - 6 PM in 113 Rackham


                         Instructor
David R. Bowen
2311 A/AB
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48202		 Daytime tel: (313) 577-1498
Evening tel: (248) 549-8518
FAX: (313) 577-8585
Home Page:
    http://www.cll.wayne.edu/isp/drbowen
Email: d.r.bowen@wayne.edu

CASicon.gif (1333 bytes)
Last updated: 1/8/01
Link back to course Welcome...

First class: Agenda 1
Monday January 8

  1. Handouts
    1. Syllabus
    2. Agenda 1
  2. Introductions
  3. Course overview
    1. Syllabus
      1. GST 2710, Computers and Society, carries CS General Education credit
        1. Books are available at Barnes and Noble campus bookstore:
          • Microsoft Office 2000 Professional
          • Computers, Society and Technology
      2. AGS 3360, Computers and Society, Upper Division version
        1. Above books, plus
          • The Road Ahead by Bill Gates
    2. Course web site. Using the steps below, turn the computer on and go to the course web site.
      1. The power switch is red and located under the desktop. It is lit when on. Turn the power switch on. For some computers, the computer next to you must also be on, before yours will turn on.
      2. You have to log in to Windows NT. The User Name is "labuser". Leave the Password blank and click on the OK button.
      3. You may have to bypass one or more of the following odd occurences:
        1. If you see a warning that starts, "At least one service or driver failed during system startup", click the OK button.
        2. If you see a window called "Login for Yahoo", click its Cancel button
        3. If you see a window called "Yahoo Messenger", EITHER (a) Click its Close Box (X) in its upper right corner, OR (b) choose the menu item Login then Exit, OR (c) hold down the <Ctrl> button and tap Q while it is down.
      4. Start Netscape Navigator - web browser - either by double-clicking on the desktop icon (picture) or by single-clicking on the Start button, then sliding the mouse up to Programs and then sliding the mouse over to Netscape Communicator and clicking (in earlier versions this was called Netscape Navigator)
      5. In the "Location" line near the top of the screen, type the following URL (Universal Resource Locator, or web address). Your typing must be 100% complete and accurate - http://www.cll.wayne.ed/isp/drbowen/casw01
      6. When the course web site comes up, click on the "Bookmarks" menu item (put the point of the mouse symbol on the word "Bookmarks" and click the left (normal) mouse button), then click on "Add Bookmark" ( "Add Bookmark" and click the left mouse button.). After bookmarking the site in this way, you will be able to choose this bookmark in the future, instead of typing.
      7. On the course web site, scroll down to the "Signin" link. Click on the link (the link is blue and underlined) "Signin". When the signin page appears, click in the First Name box, type in your first name, and continue with the Middle Initial and Last Name boxes. When the typing is done, click on the Sign In button. Then follow the resulting link back to the course Welcome page. You will complete this signin at each class.
      8. On the course Welcome page, scroll down and click on the link "Course information form". Fill in the form with the information that you have available now. Bring any missing information to the next class and complete the form a second time then.

        NOTE: Your assignment grades can be available online, using your name and a Password. If you want this access, click the "Yes" button in the "Online grades" section and enter the Password that you want to use.
      9. Note the link to the Online math tutor. You may want to use this after we get to binary numbers.
  4. Topics for Quiz 1 (next class, January 22, at the beginning of class)
    1. What is the difference between data, information and knowledge?
    2. Describe the structure of a typical desktop computer
    3. List and describe the different types of computer storage and the units in which they are measured
    4. List and describe the two main types of user interfaces for computers, and the one expected future type
    5. List and describe the five mouse actions
    6. List and describe the parts of a window, including their uses, and identify those parts, given a picture of a window
    7. List and describe the types of information that can be stored in computers
    8. Describe how to carry out a double key stroke, e.g. <Ctrl>Q
    9. Given a file path
      1. Name it (i.e. "path")
      2. List and describe its parts
    10. Given a URL (web address)
      1. Name it (i.e. "URL")
      2. List and describe its parts
    11. Count and add in binary
    12. List the powers of 2 in binary and decimal
    13. Convert binary to decimal and decimal to binary
    14. Starting with the computer off, open a file in Word
  5. Introduction to computers
    1. Data Vs Information Vs Knowledge
      1. Computer processes symbols
      2. Types of computer information
        1. Programs - computer commands in a form the computer understands
          1. Operating system
          2. Applications
        2. Data
          1. Numerical data in binary format
          2. Text (includes numbers in text form). This form is used for input and output.
          3. Pictures and animations
          4. Sound
    2. Basic computer structure
      1. Central processing unit (CPU)
      2. Input devices - examples
      3. Output devices - examples
      4. Primary storage (RAM/ROM). Fast but "volatile" - stored information disappears when the power is turned off. This is "working memory"; the CPU uses the information from RAM/ROM
      5. Secondary storage (disks) or permanent storage -- does not disappear when the power is turned off, but must be loaded into primary storage to be used
        1. Hard drive/disk - C: or c:
        2. Floppy drive - A: or a:
          NOTE: In DOS, all drives are in uppercase. In Windows, all drives are in lowercase. Later on, this holds for directories and files also.
          NOTE: Taking care of your floppy diskette for this course: Keep your floppy diskette away from dirt or grime, heat, cold, and strong electric or magnetic fields. Do not carry it loose, especially if it can get bent or twisted. Label your floppy diskette. There is a specific indented area on the plastic case for the label. Keep the label within this area. Make sure the label is tight all around the edges. If the edges stick up, the diskette will get caught in the floppy drive, and most likely destroyed. Never let the label cover any part of the metal door on the diskette.
  6. Counting and adding in decimal and binary
    1. For a computer, the first number is zero!
    2. How the decimal system works - humans use this because it is compact
      1. Symbols
      2. Counting
      3. Carry
      4. Place value
      5. Addition
    3. Binary number system - computers use this because it can be represented by switches - simple, fast and cheap on-off devices.
      1. Symbols
      2. Counting
      3. Carry
      4. Place value
      5. Addition
    4. Converting
      1. Start with the powers of two in decimal and binary notation
    5. Numerals and numbers
      1. The number is the quantity
      2. A numeral is the symbol that represents the number, but the same number has different numerals in decimal and binary
  7. Computer systems and software
    1. What the operating system does
    2. What applications do
    3. Primary applications -- the ones covered by this course
      1. Word processing
      2. Spreadsheet
      3. Database
      4. Graphics
      5. Communications
      6. Computer programming
    4. Files
      1. What is a file?
        1. Collection of related information
        2. Exists in permanent storage
        3. Has a name - filename and extension: filename.ext
        4. Wildcards -- ? stands for any one character. * stands for any number of characters (including zero characters). For example, *.exe stands for a file with any name and an extension of exe. In Microsoft Excel, there are several file types, whose extensions start with xl. This can be indicated by *.xl*
      2. Types of files
        1. Program
        2. Data
      3. Heirarchical file system
        1. Directories / folders. A directory can contain files and other directories (sub-directories)
        2. Root directory
        3. Examples:
          C:\
          C:\STUDENTS
          C:\STUDENTS\SECT571
        4. "Path" means path to a file, including the directory and file name. Example:
          C:\STUDENTS\SECT571\PROSPECTUS.WPS
        5. URL - Universal Resource Locator, for example
          http://www.cll.wayne.ed/isp/drbowen/casw01/welcome.htm
          1. Parts are method, Domain Name (of web server computer), path and file
    5. Command Line Interface (example: DOS) Vs Graphical User Interface or GUI (example: Windows)
      1. An expected type of interface is the agent - suggest/ask/remind, take commands, execute, report back with results, e.g. Office Assistant
    6. Windows basics
      1. Mouse actions (on a Windows mouse, use left button)
        1. Point. Place the mouse cursor over a feature on the screen by using the mouse. The active part of the cursor is the extreme point of the arrow. When you point to an icon, a text box pops up with its full name and often some status information. For the Start button, and often in applications,
        2. Click. Point the mouse and click the left mouse button once. Use this to actuate buttons and menu items, to select icons.
          1. "Click on" means to point at the feature named and click the left mouse button once. Example: "Click on the Netscape icon."
        3. Right-click. Same as Click, except use the right mouse button. Used to bring up a menu of actions from all menus that you can use in the current situation.
        4. Double-click. Point the mouse and click the left mouse button twice, rapidly. Use this to open icons (can also Click on the icon to select it and then tap <Return>).
          1. Double-click on Accessories to open it
          2. Double-click on Clock to open it
        5. Drag. Point the mouse at a screen feature, hold the button down and move the mouse with the button held down. Use this to move windows and icons, and to change the size of windows, to select a range of text in a word processor or a range of cells in a spreadsheet.
      2. Active elements of windows
        1. Border - use it to resize -- mouse cursor changes shape
        2. Title bar - uses are see what the window is, to show if window is activated (blue for activated, grey for unactivated) and to move the window
        3. Menu bar - use is to make window do work for you
        4. Minimize / Maximize / Close boxes
          1. Minimize = reduce window back to an icon
          2. Maximize = make window take up whole screen
          3. Close = leave the application
          4. When a window is maximized, its maximize button turns into double overlapping boxes. Click this button to return the window to its original (smaller) size.
        5. Icon - a small picture indicating a file that can be started or run with a double-click or alternately, use a single click and then tap the <Enter> key
        6. Dialog: a collection of active elements to accomplish a multipart task. Dialogs are windows, so they have title bars. We will identify dialogs by their title -- the text on the title bar. When you start Works, the first thing you see is the Startup dialog.
        7. Button - a rectangular picture that looks like a button, often with a label, that takes an action when it is clicked
        8. Menu - a list of options that drops down when you click on the text on the menu bar. Click on the option you you want to choose it.
        9. Pull-down list - a line of text with a down-pointing arrowhead to the right. When you click the arrowhead, a list of options drop down. Click on the option you want to choose it.
          1. On the Save As... dialog, you used the pull-down drive list to choose drive a:
        10. List box - a list of choices inside a box, with the chosen item shown above the list.
          1. On the Open dialog, you used the list box of file names
        11. Scroll bars - bars at the right side and/or bottom of the screen with up and down arrowheads and an "elevator box." These are for moving ("scrolling") through a long text or graphics file. The elevator box shows your location within the file. Click on the arrowheads for small movements. Click on the bar near the arrowhead to move one full screen at a time. Drag the elevator box for large movements. Try all three.
      3. Managing windows
        1. Open an icon into a window - double-click the icon
        2. Moving - drag on title bar
        3. Resizing - drag on border -- dragging on a corner can change height and width at once
        4. Closing
        5. Maximizing / minimizing
        6. Bring to front, same as activating -- single click on a window anywhere to do this
      4. Task Bar - applications that are running, click on icon to make that application active
      5. Tray - applications that are started automatically
      6. Windows usually gives you several methods for doing anything. For example, to close or exit from a program, you can do any one of the following:
        1. Click the program's Close Box (X) in its upper right corner
        2. Choose the menu item File, and then Exit
        3. In some cases, <Ctrl>Q (means to hold down the <Ctrl> key and tap Q while <Ctrl> is down.
  8. Microsoft Office - combines word processing, database, spreadsheet and graphics
    1. Parts of Office that we will be using
      1. Word - word processing
      2. Excel - spreadsheet
      3. Access - database
        You carry out the underlined items.
    2. (For this first class, we will be using Word 97 since Word 2000 is not installed yet.) Start Word by
      1. clicking on the Start button in the lower left corner of the screen
      2. then pointing to Programs
      3. then sliding the mouse cursor over horizontally, then down to Office 2000
      4. then sliding the mouse cursor over to Microsoft Word
    3. Insert the test floppy diskette into the diskette drive window.
      1. The writing ("CH") is on on the top of the diskette. The metal door is on the front of the diskette. Put the diskette into the topside up and front first.
      2. Push firmly until the computer takes the disk in the rest of the way. If the diskette sticks, do not force it.
    4. Type something in Word -- anything.
    5. Save what you have written
      1. Click on the "File" menu item and then "Save As."
        1. In the future, we will call this the menu item File / Save As...
        2. NOTE: In "Save As..." the ellipsis (three dots at the end) indicates that you will need to supply further information to carry out the action. This is standard Windows usage. For one thing, it means that if you try it and don't like it, you will be able to cancel the action.
      2. The "Save As" dialog opens.
        1. Locate the "Save In" line near the top of the dialog and the down-pointing arrowhead at the right side of this. Click on the down-pointing arrowhead and choose the 3½ Floppy drive (A:) by clicking on the drive icon to the left of these words.
        2. In the "File Name" line near the bottom of the dialog, type in a file name, being sure to leave the ".doc" just as you found it.
      3. When the "Save As" dialog is set up as in #2 above, click on its "Save" button near the right side. At the bottom of the window, a growing line of squares shows that the file is actually being saved. If your file is small, the line may flash by very quickly.
      4. Reopen your file.
        1. Choose the menu item File / Open
        2. Select the drive (A:) and either (both do the same thing)
          1. double click on the file name
            OR
          2. single-click on the file name and click the OK button
      5. Close your file but leave Word open.
        1. In the upper right corner of the Word window, there are two sets of controls. Click on the lower "X" to close your file.
      6. Close Word by clicking on the upper "X"
  9. Turning your computer off
    1. Save any files that you have worked on during the class and still have open
    2. Click on "Start" then Shut Down...
    3. Make sure that "Shut down the computer" is selected and click "Yes"
    4. Wait for the dialog "It is now safe to turn off your computer.", then turn off the power using the red switch under the desktop.

Be sure to turn the test diskette back in.

Assignment 1 - turn in at the next class (January 22)

  1. Read Chapter 1 in Computers, Society and Technology. Turn in answers for the following Review questions on Pg 1-36: 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
  2. In Microsoft Office 2000 Professional, read the sections EC (Essential Computer Concepts), WIN98 (Windows) and WEB (Browser Basics), and be prepared to carry them out in lab.
  3. Write the numbers after the following numbers (binary):
    1. 100
    2. 110
    3. 111
    4. 1001
    5. 10111001101
  4. Add the following binary numbers:
    1. 10 + 11
    2. 1010 + 1101
    3. 11 + 1
    4. 11 + 10
    5. 110011 + 1101
  5. Convert the following binary numbers to decimal: A)1 B)101 C)1011 D)0110 E)10011 F)111011 G)111011001
  6. (Not covered in class yet, not assigned) Convert the following decimal numbers to binary: A)0 B)7 C)13 D)16 E)25 F)67 G)125
  7. Why do computers use the binary system?
  8. Why do humans use the decimal system?
  9. What does the term "bit" refer to?
  10. What does the term "byte" refer to?
  11. What does the term "kilobyte" refer to?
  12. What does the term "megabyte" refer to?

Next week in class I will also take individual pictures for the course Web Site. This is not a required part of the course; if you do not want your picture taken, let me know. The course Web Site is http://www.cll.wayne.edu/isp/drbowen/casf98.